West Palm Beach Nonprofit Advances At-sea, Marine Science Education Programs Across South Florida with Boat Show Grant

West Palm Beach, Florida (February 21, 2024) – In the name of science, ANGARI Foundation plans to expand their at-sea educational ocean expeditions to more students and educators across South Florida, including Title I schools. The Palm Beach International Boat Show Gives Back grant committee selected ANGARI Foundation as an inaugural grant recipient of the grant program to help continue the Foundation’s mission of strengthening marine science education. The grant program is funded through the proceeds from the annual Palm Beach International Boat Show, owned by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County (MIAPBC) and produced by Informa, and granted a total of $500,000 to 25 local nonprofits. MIAPBC recently named ANGARI Foundation an Environmental Steward of the Year for their significant community outreach in environmental and marine science education.

Through her passion for the ocean, marine science, and boating, president and co-founder of ANGARI Foundation, Angela Rosenberg, started the nonprofit with her sister in 2016. They converted a 65-foot yacht into an affordable research vessel and named it R/V ANGARI. Since its founding, ANGARI Foundation has become a community resource for affordable marine science research and STEM education in Palm Beach County. The Foundation has welcomed nearly 1,000 scientists, educators, and students aboard their research vessel for ocean expeditions and educational programs. As captain of R/V ANGARI, Rosenberg dedicates her time to supporting research initiatives. These initiatives foster a greater trust and dialogue between scientists and the public, while also educating the community on ocean conservation and investing in the future of STEM education.

The Palm Beach International Boat Show Gives Back grant will allow ANGARI Foundation to offer their educational shark research program, Coastal Ocean Explorers: Sharks (COE: Sharks), to more schools in Palm Beach County, including 3 expeditions in the 2024-2025 school year dedicated to Title 1 schools and a summer teachers-only workshop. Departing from ANGARI’s headquarters in West Palm Beach, COE: Sharks features full-day expeditions for middle school and high school students and teachers to apply the scientific method and STEM knowledge by studying sharks aboard R/V ANGARI alongside researchers from Florida International University.  

During COE: Sharks, participants first receive introductory training in marine science field methods and environmental principles before gaining firsthand experience on the water. They then work side by side with professional scientists and vessel crew to fish for, tag, and collect valuable data that supports shark research and conservation. Throughout the expedition, the participants also gain experience working with baited remote underwater video system (BRUVS) surveys. These surveys are accomplished by deploying a video rig in the Lake Worth Lagoon to study local marine life; identifying marine species and studying their population abundance. Through this place-based, educational experience, students and teachers explore marine operations and careers, scientific fieldwork, shark biology and ecology, natural resources, and marine conservation.

Since the program’s start, the demand for ANGARI Foundation’s COE: Sharks has substantially increased. To date, the Foundation has hosted 28 COE: Sharks expeditions, welcoming aboard 259 students and 100 teachers, with more than 5,000 individuals engaged via related onshore programming. In 2023 alone, ANGARI hosted 13 COE: Sharks expeditions with 135 students and 47 educators.

“We’re honored to have our educational efforts recognized by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County and the Palm Beach International Boat Show Gives Back grant committee,” said Rosenberg. “We’re look forward to sharing these once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunities with students and teachers and continuing to increase our impact, and the support we’ve received is huge for helping us grow this program within our community. We’re excited to see what we can do together.”

Rosenberg hopes to expand the Foundation’s environmental and educational impact in 2024, enabling it to reach more students and educators from all backgrounds, and invest in the next generation of scientists.

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About ANGARI Foundation
ANGARI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation established in 2016 and headquartered in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Foundation is dedicated to creating a global community that is interested, knowledgeable, and invested in marine and environmental sciences by directly supporting research initiatives that foster a greater trust and dialogue between scientists and the public. ANGARI Foundation uses innovative technology, film, and other media to raise awareness and strengthen science education. Many of the Foundation’s primary initiatives involve R/V ANGARI, a 65-foot vessel that serves as an exceptional research and education platform.

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